This invention generally relates to the art of electrical connectors and, particularly, to an electrical connector for mounting through an aperture in a panel and provided with floating movement between the connector and the panel.
Various electrical connectors have been designed for mounting through an aperture in a panel. For instance, a connector housing may be disposed at a first or rear side of the panel, with a mating portion of the connector projecting through the aperture to a position projecting from a second or front side of the panel. Often, it is desirable that the connector xe2x80x9cfloatxe2x80x9d relative to the panel. In other words, the connector can move within the aperture relative to the panel.
Panel mounted electrical connectors of the character described above, particularly when provided with floating movement, typically are unnecessarily complicated to manufacture and/or use. Extraneous brackets may have to be provided, and the connector takes up too much area or xe2x80x9creal estatexe2x80x9d on the panel. The present invention is directed to solving these problems by providing a very simple connector which is mounted in an aperture in a panel, with floating movement between the connector and the panel, simply by inserting the connector through the aperture in the panel.
An object, therefore, of the invention is to provide a new and improved panel mounted electrical connector of the character described.
Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved electrical connector for mounting through an aperture in a panel, with floating movement between the connector and the panel.
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention, a connector housing includes a mating portion insertable from a first side of the panel, through the aperture, to a position projecting from a second side of the panel. A first projection is provided on the housing for engaging the first side of the panel. A spring retention cap is positioned about the mating portion on the second side of the panel and includes a second projection for engaging the second side of the panel. An extension spring has opposite ends fixed to the spring retention cap and to the housing for drawing the first projection on the housing and the second projection on the spring retention cap against the first and second sides of the panel. The extension spring provides for floating movement between the connector and the panel.
According to one aspect of the invention, the extension spring is a coil spring stretched in tension between the housing and the spring retention cap. The cap is cup-shaped to define an inner bottom wall and side walls forming an interior cavity within which the coil spring is disposed. One end of the spring is fixed to the inner bottom wall of the cup-shaped spring retention cap. The mating portion of the connector housing extends through an opening in the bottom wall of the cup-shaped spring retention cap.
According to another aspect of the invention, the spring retention cap is dimensioned for passing through the aperture in the panel when the mating portion of the connector housing is inserted from the first side of the panel through the aperture. The second projection on the spring retention cap passes through the panel into snapped engagement with the second side of the panel. The second projection is located on a compressible portion of the spring retention cap, whereby the second projection snappingly expands into engagement with the second side of the panel when the second projection clears the aperture in the panel.
As disclosed herein, the first projection on the housing is provided by a peripheral flange which may be press-fit onto the mating portion of the connector housing. Alternatively, the flange may be integral with and surround the mating portion of the connector housing.